I honestly do believe that students need to start searching for internships, co-op opportunities and even volunteer work while they're young so they can have the exposure for later on in life. I know a lot of fellow colleagues who didn't get the chance to participate in internships and are having a little bit of a difficult time trying to find careers in the market right now.
I received three internships through Experience Inc., with Key Education Resources, Sallie Mae and the US Coast Guard First District.
Key Education Resources and Sallie Mae were both student loan centers that I spent my summer internships at in Boston. My internships have benefited me in many ways, particularly in helping me realize my long term future goals of what I want to accomplish and where I want to ultimately end up in 10 years. I had the opportunity to study one aspect of finance and experience another because of my internships, and now I work as an Accounting Specialist at a bank in Boston.
The US Coast Guard First District internship was a very unique opportunity provided through Experience. I read about the internship through eRecruiting.com (online service offered by Experience) and applied for it directly online. They were seeking a budget/finance intern to work in their Finance Branch in Boston. The US Coast Guard is an Equal Opportunity Employer but I think I had an upper hand because minority and female candidates were strongly encouraged to apply. If it wasn't for Experience and their networking abilities with The US Coast Guard, I would have never known about this wonderful internship opportunity.
More internship stories are also available.
